Definition of desparate

1. desperate [ a ] arising from or marked by despair or loss of hopeExamples:"a despairing view of the world situation""the last despairing plea of the condemned criminal""a desperate cry for help""helpless and desperate--as if at the end of his tether""desperate screams"

Used in print:

(James Boylan, "Mutinity"...)

As Hudson resumed his desperate criss-crossing of the little bay , every incident lessened the crew 's respect for him .

(Gibson Winter, The Suburban Captivity of the...)

This conformity represents a desperate attempt to stabilize a hopelessly unstable environment .

Since American life is committed above_all to productivity and a higher standard of economic life , the countervailing forces of residential and religious exclusiveness have fought a desperate , rearguard action against the expanding interdependence of the metropolis .

(Charles Wharton Stork, "Verner von Heidenstam"...)

After the collapse of that desperate and ill-fated campaign the character of the king degenerated for a time into a futility that was not merely pitiable but often ridiculous .

(Peter Field, Rattlesnake Ridge....)

Cobb watched this with hunted eyes , his desperate hope waning by the moment .

3. desperate [ a ] showing extreme courage; especially of actions courageously undertaken in desperation as a last resortExamples:"made a last desperate attempt to reach the climber""they took heroic measures to save his life"

5. desperate [ n ] a person who is frightened and in need of helpExamples:"they prey on the hopes of the desperate"

Used in print:

(Jack Kaplan, "The Health Machine Menace: Therapy by...)

By preying on the sick , by playing callously on the hopes of the desperate , by causing the sufferer to delay proper medical_care , these medical ghouls create pain and misery by their very activity .

7. desperate [ a ] fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopelessExamples:"a desperate illness""on all fronts the Allies were in a desperate situation due to lack of materiel"- G.C.Marshall"a dire emergency"